Local SES Unit busier than ever

VICTORIA State Emergency Services volunteers have been active for seven decades, yet the state’s units were collectively called out to more jobs in the last couple of years than ever before.

Serving the city and its 40-kilometre radius, the VICSES Ballarat Unit’s 35 active members have attended to over 750 requests for assistance in the last six months.

The Unit’s deputy controller of operations Craig West said their yearly average of callouts is a total of 700.

“After the storm in October, where we got 350 jobs in three to six days, we’ve had a lot of roof damage, ridge-capping missing, trees down, and it takes time for those to be repaired,” he said.

“We do temporary repairs, so when a town like Ballarat gets hit, it takes time for workers to fix all the houses.

“We’re getting called back to temporary repairs because more weather has come and upset those, which is hard on our Unit of operational and non-operational volunteers, but there’s not a lot we can do about it.”

Mr West said throughout lockdowns, volunteers have been very responsive, relishing the opportunity to leave their homes and help others.

He was grateful that in January of 2020, the Unit received Webex training, and could continue their ongoing volunteer education at any time throughout the last two years.

The Ballarat Unit was visited by VICSES CEO Stephen Griffin last week, who dropped into thank volunteers for their efforts in the last 24 months.

He recognised that the demand on them is increasing, not only with emergencies and extreme weather events to attend, but training and fundraising.

Mr Griffin said managing this is going to be a long-term challenge for head office and their units across the state in the future.

“We’re asking, how do we better support our units so that they can do the jobs they signed up for?” he said.

“Reflecting on the last two COVID years, VICSES volunteers have played a critical role in supporting Victorians and the state’s emergency services during a period of enormous stress in the community.

“They have experienced the same challenges of working from home, remote schooling and the physical and mental impacts of lockdowns as the rest of the community, and we applaud their continued support of Victoria’s emergency services so magnificently during COVID.”

VICSES Ballarat Unit controller Gordon Hicks said his team is always seeking volunteers, and financial support.

While they receive small amounts of State and local government funding, the local Unit’s mainly must fund itself, its vehicles which are turned over every two years, fuel and equipment.

Fundraising efforts have been restricted during the pandemic, as the Unit can’t head out for tin shakes. If you would like to support the VICSES Ballarat Unit, visit their Give Now page at bit.ly/2YSrkZC.